Ground contact putter

ABSTRACT

A ground-contact putter is disclosed, the putter having a putter head that is rested continuously on an underlying putting surface during the putting stroke. The putter head has two end portions that contact the underlying putting surface and a centrally disposed ball-striking portion that is elevated above the putting surface. The putter head is oriented so that the longitudinal axis through the center of the putter head is perpendicular to the ball-strike direction. The putter shaft can be attached to the putter head either perpendicularly or at an angle. The putter head can optionally comprise a core, ground-contact surfaces and ball-strike surfaces made of different materials.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0001] 1. Field of the Invention

[0002] This invention generally relates to golf clubs and moreparticularly relates to a putter specially adapted to make continuouscontact with the ground during use.

[0003] 2. Description of Related Art

[0004] Many different shapes and styles of putters are well known topersons familiar with the game of golf. All putters embody a head and ashaft. One end of the shaft is attached or connected to the head and theother end comprises a handgrip that is graspable by the user. The headtypically comprises a ball-striking surface that is intended to contacta golf ball during the putting motion.

[0005] During use, conventional putters are supported by the hands ofthe player so that the sole of the putter is slightly above ground leveland a little behind the ball. The player typically stands facing theball, with his or her feet slightly apart and generally transverse tothe direction in which the ball will travel when struck by the putterhead. After observing or “reading” the topography of the green or otherputting surface between the ball and the cup, the player causes theputter head to strike the ball, hopefully with appropriate force and ina direction such that the ball will roll smoothly across the ground andinto the cup.

[0006] A push-type putter is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,349,937. Thisputter contains a convex striking face that contacts the golf ball and aconvex sole that slides along the putting green. The convex strikingface of the putter is disclosed as being at a greater elevation than themidsectional plane of the golf ball so that the putter imparts topspinto the ball, causing it to roll instead of slide across the puttinggreen. Positioning of the shaft at a point equidistant from the two endsis disclosed to facilitate stroke alignment or aiming. Intersection ofthe shaft with the putter head at the focal point of the curved surfacesis preferred but not absolutely necessary.

[0007] A disadvantage of the putter disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,349,937is that the putter head contacts the underlying putting surface over theentire length between its two ends. This creates unnecessary drag on thepuffer head during the putting stroke. The increased drag slows thespeed of the putter head and reduces the momentum delivered to the ball.Any surface conditions or irregularity in the portion of the puttingsurface that is contacted by the putter head also affects the puttingstroke.

[0008] A putter is therefore needed that embodies the advantages of apush putter as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,394,937 and also overcomesthe disadvantages previously associated with such a device.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0009] A ground-contact putter as disclosed herein has a putter headthat is rested on an underlying putting surface and pushed by the puttershaft forwardly across the putting surface to strike a golf ball towarda cup. The putter head has two end portions that contact the underlyingputting surface and a centrally disposed ball-striking portion that iselevated above the putting surface. The putter head is oriented so thatthe longitudinal axis through the center of the putter head isperpendicular to the ball-strike direction. The putter shaft can beattached to the putter head either perpendicularly or at an angle. Theputter head can optionally comprise core, ground-contact and ball-strikesurfaces made of different materials.

[0010] Unlike conventional putters, a putter is disclosed herein that isdesigned to maintain continuous contact with an underlying puttingsurface throughout the puffing stroke while simultaneously minimizingcontact with that surface. According to a preferred embodiment of theinvention, a putter is provided that comprises a shaft and a puttinghead. The putting head can have a solid or partially hollow core, andpreferably has a substantially cylindrical sidewall disposed around thecore, and two ends. The cylindrical sidewall further comprises a groundcontact portion disposed adjacent each end of the putter head and anintermediate ball striking portion disposed between the two ends. Theportion of the sidewall disposed between the ground contact portions atthe two ends preferably does not contact the underlying putting surface.

[0011] According to a preferred embodiment, the ground contact portionsat the two ends of the putter head has a greater diameter than theintermediate ball striking portion, thereby avoiding frictional drag bythe portion of the putter head disposed between the two ends as theputter head is pushed forwardly across an underlying putting surface.Recessing the ball contact surface between two adjacent larger-diameterend sections of the putter head can also aid in sighting and aligningthe putter head, ball and hole prior to striking the ball. The groundcontact portion and ball striking portion of the putter head can be madeof the same or different materials. The shaft preferably has a handgripat one end and the other end is preferably attached to the head atapproximately the midpoint of the cylindrical sidewall. The majorlongitudinal axis through the shaft can deviate slightly from an axisperpendicular to the longitudinal axis through the head.

[0012] According to one embodiment of the invention, the majorlongitudinal axis through the shaft is perpendicular to the surface ofthe cylindrical putter head and, when extended, intersects thetransverse central longitudinal axis through the putter head at an angleof 90°. According to another embodiment of the invention, the shaftaxis, when extended, will intersect a perpendicular axis passing throughthe center of the putter head at a point disposed below the center ofthe putter head. According to another embodiment of the invention, theshaft axis, when extended, will intersect a perpendicular axis throughthe center of the putter head at a point disposed above the center ofthe putter head.

[0013] Under USGA Rules (Appendix II), when the subject puffer is in thenormal address position, the projection of the straight part of theshaft onto the vertical plane through the toe and heel of the putterwill preferably diverge from the vertical by at least 10 degrees, andthe projection of the straight part of the shaft onto the vertical planealong the intended line of play will preferably not diverge from thevertical by more than 20 degrees. Because the putter shaft is slantingto the rear rather than to the side of the putter face, a player usingthe putter disclosed herein will also have the advantage of being ableto more easily sight along the shaft of the putter when lining up aputt. To impart a slight topspin to the ball when struck, the diameterand construction of the cylindrical head are preferably such that theputter head impacts the ball surface at an elevation about {fraction(1/8)} inch above the elevation of the center of gravity of the ball.

[0014] According to another embodiment, which is not preferred but isstill believed to be within the scope of the invention, the subjectputter does not have a completely cylindrical sidewall but instead hasconvex, arcuate ground-contact and ball-strike surface sectionsconnected by at least one other surface section having an externalconfiguration that is not cylindrical and may, for example, be linear,concave, or convex or otherwise curvilinear with a different radius ofcurvature.

[0015] Use of the putter disclosed herein is believed to enhance thelikelihood of a successful putt by reducing alignment errors prior tothe putt and by reducing the opportunities for miss-striking the ballduring the swing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0016] The apparatus and method of the invention are further describedand explained in relation to the following drawings, wherein:

[0017]FIG. 1 is a side elevation view of a preferred embodiment of theputter of the invention, illustrating an example of one way in which themajor longitudinal axis through the shaft can deviate from a verticalaxis extending perpendicularly through the center of the putter head;

[0018]FIG. 2 is a front elevation view of the putter of FIG. 1;

[0019]FIG. 3 is a side detail view, partially broken away and partiallyin cross-section, showing an embodiment of the subject putter in whichthe puffer head comprises one material for the core, a second materialfor the ground-contact surface, and a third material for the ball-strikesurface;

[0020]FIG. 4 is a side detail view, partially broken away and partiallyin cross-section, showing an embodiment of the subject putter in whichthe putter head of the invention comprises one material for the coreportion and another material for the outer surface portion;

[0021]FIG. 5 is a front detail view, partially broken away and partiallyin cross-section, showing the base of the shaft attached to a putterhead of the invention in which the core and surface are unitarily madeof a single material;

[0022]FIG. 6 is a front detail view, partially broken away and partiallyin cross-section, showing the base of the shaft attached to a putterhead of the invention in which the core is partially hollow;

[0023]FIG. 7 is a side elevation view depicting the major longitudinalaxis of the shaft, when extended, as being aligned with the center ofthe putter head of the invention and showing a preferred elevationalrelationship between the impact point of the ball strike surface of theputter head and the center of gravity of a conventional golf ball;

[0024]FIG. 8 is a side elevation view as in FIG. 7 but with the shaftaxis intersecting the perpendicular axis through the center of theputter head at a point higher than the center of the putter head;

[0025]FIG. 9 is a side elevation view as in FIG. 7 but with the shaftaxis intersecting the perpendicular axis through the center of theputter head at a point lower than the center of the putter head;

[0026]FIG. 10 is a simplified diagrammatic view showing a playeraligning the subject putter to putt a golf ball toward a cup disposed inthe putting surface;

[0027]FIG. 10a is a simplified diagrammatic view showing a playeradvancing the subject putter to strike a golf ball toward a cup disposedin the putting surface;

[0028]FIG. 10b is a simplified diagrammatic view showing a playerfollowing through the puffing motion after putting a golf ball toward acup disposed in the putting surface;

[0029]FIG. 11 is a diagrammatic plan view depicting a preferred positionfor the player and putter relative to a golf ball and to the hole at themoment of impact using the putter disclosed herein;

[0030]FIG. 12 is a front detail view of a particularly preferredembodiment, partially broken away and partially in cross-section,showing the decreased diameter of the central portion of the putterhead; and

[0031]FIG. 13 is a top plan view of a puffer as depicted in FIG. 12,showing the alignment of the shaft and a golf ball at the time ofimpact.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0032] Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, ground-contact putter 10 of theinvention preferably comprises shaft 12 having substantially transverse,cylindrical putter head 14 at one end and handgrip 16 at the other.Putter head 14 desirably further comprises ball-strike section 82disposed between and recessed inwardly from end sections 84, 86. Putterhead 14 can be unitarily constructed from a single block of metal, suchas aluminum, steel or alloys, or cast or molded from other metals,composite or polymeric materials, or from a combination thereof, by anysuitable manufacturing technique. Preferably, if putter head 14 is madeof metal, it can be anodized or otherwise treated to resist corrosionand further reduce friction with the ground, and optionally colored toesthetically enhance putter 10.

[0033] Whether made of one or several materials, putter head 14preferably comprises spaced-apart ground-contact surfaces 28 and anintermediate and recessed ball-strike surface 30. Ground-contactsurfaces 28 are desirably relatively hard, slick and corrosionresistant, whereas ball-strike surface 30 may have other features notpresent in ground-contact surfaces 28. Ground-contact surfaces 28 mayalso preferably be coated with Teflon or another suitable material inorder to reduce friction between puffer head 14 and an underlyingputting surface. Ground-contact surfaces 28 should also be configured soas not to damage the underlying puffing surface. By making putter head14 so that ground-contact and ball-strike surfaces 28, 30, respectively,extend arcuately around at least a portion of the circumference ofsubstantially cylindrical putter head 14, it is possible to accommodateplayers of different heights and different preferences regarding theangle at which the putter shaft is held relative to the underlyingputting surface when putting. Although putter head 14 preferably hassubstantially cylindrical ball-strike section 82 and end sections 84,86, it can also embody surface sections that are not cylindrical withoutdeparting from the scope of the invention, provided that at least theground-contact and ball-strike surface sections are convex arcuatesections as would otherwise subtend a cylindrical surface. In thislatter case, putter head 14 is still considered to have substantiallycylindrical end and ball-strike sections.

[0034] Applicant has learned that striking a golf ball by theapplication of a horizontally directed force to the outside surface ofthe golf ball at a point above the elevational midpoint of the ball willcause the ball to roll smoothly and evenly across a smooth puttingsurface. For this reason, the most forwardly extending part ofball-strike surface 30 will preferably be at an elevation that isslightly higher, most preferably about {fraction (1/8)} inch higher,than the midpoint of a golf ball. The outside diameter of conventionalgolf balls can vary slightly according to the type and manufacturer butis believed to be a little less than two inches. Therefore, according toone particularly preferred embodiment of the invention, the center ofball-strike surface 30 of putter head 14 is preferably about 1⅛ inchesabove the underlying putting surface and about {fraction (1/8)} inchabove the elevational midpoint on the outside surface of the golf ball.The width of putter head 14 between end sections 84, 86 and the width ofground-contact surfaces 28 is desirably large enough to stabilize theforward motion of the putter head while it is being pushed toward theball during the putting motion. The width of ball-strike surface 30 ispreferably comparable to those of other conventional putters. The areaof ground-contact surface 28 that frictionally engages the underlyingputting surface should not, however, be so large as to cause excessivedrag during putting or so narrow as to cut a trough into the surface ofa putting green.

[0035] Shaft 12 can be made of any conventional material using methodsknown in the art of golf club construction. Shaft 12 can be made, forexample, of metal, graphite or boron fibers, engineered polymers or evenwood. The lower end of shaft 12 can be inserted directly into putterhead 14 either perpendicularly or at in a rearwardly slanting angularalignment. Although not shown, it will be appreciated that shaft 12 canalso be attached to putter head 14 using a hosel. According to apreferred embodiment of the invention as shown in FIG. 1, majorlongitudinal axis 18 through shaft 12 slants rearwardly at an angle φrelative to vertical axis 20 through the center of putter head 14. Thepoint of intersection between axis 18 and axis 20 can be above thecenter, at the center, or below the center of putter head 14 wheneverputter 10 is oriented with ball-strike surface 30 in a forwardly facingposition. Angle φ can range up to about 20 degrees, and is mostpreferably at least about 10 degrees. The angular relationship of theputter shaft to the putter head is further discussed in relation toFIGS. 7-9 below.

[0036] As shown in FIGS. 3-6, putter shaft 12, 34, 42, 46, respectively,is preferably attached to the putter head by threads, but can also beattached using welds, pins, epoxy or other similarly effective means. InFIG. 3, for example, the preferred attachment is by means of threadsthat engage cooperating threads in bore 24 of putter head 14. Varioustechniques and commercially available products, e.g., tack welds,Loctite® adhesive, or other similarly effective means, can be used toprevent putter head 14 from accidentally loosening or becomingdisengaged from putter shaft 12 during use.

[0037] Various preferred structural configurations for putter heads ofthe invention are further described and explained in relation to FIGS.3-6 of the drawings. While these configurations illustrate variousembodiments of the invention, those of ordinary skill in the art willappreciate upon reading this disclosure that the inventive aspects ofthe subject putter can also be similarly applied to putter heads havingsomewhat different configurations, provided that the ground-contactsurfaces and the ball-strike surface of the putter head aresubstantially cylindrical and that the shaft is attached to the putterhead in such manner that the putter head can be pushed smoothly and withlittle frictional resistance across a putting surface to contact a golfball at a point slightly above the elevational midpoint of its outersurface.

[0038] In FIGS. 3 and 4, putter heads 14, 36 are rotated to one of aninfinite number of possible address positions, whereby shafts 12, 34,respectively, will form an acute angle with an underlying puttingsurface as described in greater detail below. Referring to FIG. 3,putter head 14 is shown as having a solid core 22 with two separatesurface sections 28, 30 inlaid opposite each other to form theground-contact and ball-strike surfaces, respectively. Alternatively, asshown in putter head 36 depicted in FIG. 4, core 38 can be surrounded orcoated entirely by a single surface material 40 that is different fromthe material used to make the core. In FIG. 5, shaft 42 is attached to asolid metal head 44 having a substantially cylindrical surface 45. InFIG. 6, shaft 46 is attached to a thickened wall section of a putterhead 48 having an internal void 50. In each of FIGS. 3-6, the lower endof the shaft extends into and is held in a fixed positional relationshipto the putter head so that when viewed from the front or back, asillustrated for example in FIG. 6, the shaft is substantiallyperpendicular to the midpoint 51 of central longitudinal axis 49 throughthe putter head, and any angular deviation of the major longitudinalaxis of the shaft away from perpendicular occurs in the same plane asthe line of sight between the shaft, the center of the putter head andthe ball (not shown).

[0039]FIG. 7 depicts a putter 90 with shaft 52 partially broken away andputter head 54 contacting golf ball 56. Both putter head 54 and golfball 56 rest on underlying putting surface 58. Shaft axis 76 isperpendicular to the cylindrical surface of putter head 54 at point 110and, if extended, passes through midpoint 112 of the centrallongitudinal axis through putter head 54. The most forwardly extendingpart of the ball-strike surface of putter head 54 has an elevation 55slightly above the elevational midpoint 57 of golf ball 56. Elevation55, preferably corresponding to the center of the ball-strike surfacedof putter head 54, is preferably a distance D above the elevation 57 ofthe center of gravity of golf ball 56. Although angle Θ between themajor longitudinal axis 76 of shaft 52 and underlying putting surface 58can be any acute angle less than about 90 degrees, angles ranging fromabout 30 to about 85 degrees, and most preferably from about 30 to about45 degrees, can be most comfortable and effective for the player. Whereangle Θ is greater than about 45 degrees, the vertical component offorce applied by the user through the handgrip of the shaft will begreater than the horizontal component, contributing to increasedfrictional drag between the underside of the putter head and the puttingsurface during the putting motion. Where angle Θ is less than about 30degrees, the user may have to squat or stoop to an excessive extent inorder to advance the putter head toward the ball.

[0040] Referring to FIG. 8, longitudinal axis 76 through shaft 52, whenextended, intersects perpendicular axis 77 at a point 114 that isslightly higher than the elevation of midpoint 112 of putter head 54.The angle φ between axis 76 and axis 77 can be zero, but can range up to20 degrees or more and is preferably at least about 10 degrees. Angle Θcan vary as described above in relation to FIG. 7. Intersection point114 is preferably also the bottom center of the bore (seen, for example,as bore 24 in FIG. 3) into which the putter shaft is inserted, and isadjacent to the bottom center of the putter shaft when installed insidethe bore.

[0041] Referring to FIG. 9, longitudinal axis 76 through shaft 52, whenextended, preferably intersects perpendicular axis 77 at a point 114that is slightly lower than the elevation of midpoint 112 of putter head54. It is understood that the elevation of point 114 relative to puttingsurface 58 can vary according to angle φ D and angle Θ, as describedabove in relation to FIG. 5.

[0042]FIGS. 12 and 13 depict a preferred embodiment of ground-contactputter 116 wherein shaft 118 is secured to putter head 120. Putter head120 further comprises ball-strike section 122 with ball-strike surface130 disposed between larger-diameter end sections 124, 125. Spaced-apartend sections 124, 125 comprise annular walls 126, 127, end walls 132,134, and ground contact surfaces 128, 129 (FIG. 12). End walls 132 and134 are preferably circular in shape, although other shapes may be usedas long as they do not interfere with the use of putter 116 as describedherein. Putter head 120 can be formed by milling down a single block ofmaterial such as metal, by various molding techniques, or by any othermethod known to those of skill in the art. Although it will beappreciated upon reading this disclosure that a wide range of diameterscan be used in making end sections 124, 125 of putter 120, it ispreferred that annular walls 126, 127 extend at least ¼ inch radiallybeyond ball-strike section 122, at least within the circumferentiallyextending arcs bounded by ground-contact surfaces 128, 129, so thatthere will be sufficient clearance above the turf of underlying puttingsurface 135 to permit ball-strike section 122 to pass over the puttingsurface without any significant contact. While some blades of grassmight, especially on longer-cut greens, brush against the underside ofball-strike section 122 during the putting stroke, the extent of anysuch contact should not be sufficient to significantly impede theforward movement of putter head 120 across underlying putting surface135.

[0043]FIG. 13 is provided to illustrate how use of the ground-contactputter of the invention facilitates alignment of putter shaft 118 andgolf ball 136 when golf ball 136 is contacted by the central portion ofball-strike surface 130 during putting. Ground-contact surfaces 128 onend sections 124, 125 make contact with significantly less surface areaof underlying putting surface 0.135 than if ball-strike section 122 wasa cylindrical section having the same diameter as end sections 124, 125.As a result, there is not as much friction between ground-contactsurfaces 128 and underlying putting surface 135 as when ground-contactsurface 128 extends the entire length of cylindrical head 120.

[0044] The method of using the ground contact putter of the invention isfurther described and explained in relation to FIGS. 10, 10a, 10 b and11. Referring to FIGS. 10 and 11, player 92 preferably stands behind andslightly to one side of ball 62 as depicted in FIG. 11 by footprints106, 108 and imaginary lines 102, 104, and grasps the handgrip of shaft68 of ground-contact putter 60 of the invention in one hand. Player 92can sight along putter shaft 68 to assist in lining up the putt in adesired ball-strike direction. Once the putt is aligned, without liftingputter head 70 off the ground, player 92 elevates shaft 68 to acomfortable height at which to commence the putting stroke as describedin relation to FIGS. 10a, 10 b above. As illustrated in FIG. 11, thedesired ball-strike direction is a straight line from ball 62 to cup (orhole) 66, although it will be appreciated that the ball-strike directioncan be adjusted either right or left of the cup where underlying puttingsurface 64 embodies topography that will cause ball 62 to “break” as itrolls after being struck by putter head 70. After reading the topographyof putting surface 64 and determining the desired ball-strike directionand line of travel of ball 62 to cup 66, player 92 preferably positionsputter head 70 so that, when putter 60 is moved forwardly toward ball62, the line of travel will be the same as the desired ball-strikedirection and the cylindrical sidewall of putter head 70 will becentered on ball 62.

[0045] Referring to FIG. 10a, putter 60 is pushed forwardly along line72 by player 92, with putter head 70 maintaining constant contact withunderlying putting surface 64, so that putter head 70 contacts ball 62,causing ball 62 to move across putting surface, hopefully toward cup 66.It is preferred that the ball-strike surface of putter head 70 issufficiently hard and contacts ball 62 with sufficient velocity thatball 62 is accelerated toward cup 66 as opposed to having putter head 70remain in contact with ball 62 and simply push ball 62 toward cup 66.This results in a short period of contact and minimizes directionaldeviations during the ball-strike interval. During the putting motion,player 92 can optionally step forward, moving foot 108 slightly ahead offoot 106 if desired, although this is not recommended as it canintroduce another angular variation into the putting stroke. As withconventional putters and putting methods, the force vector applied tothe ball through the putter head during the putting stroke will affectboth the pace and trajectory of the putt. Referring to FIG. 10b, player92 will desirably continue to follow through after putter head 70strikes ball 62, as indicated by lines 72 and 74. Putter head 70continues to maintain contact with underlying putting surface 64 duringthe follow-through.

[0046] Other alterations and modifications of the invention will becomeapparent to those of ordinary skill in the art upon reading the presentdisclosure, and it is intended that the scope of the invention disclosedherein be limited only by the broadest interpretation of the appendedclaims to which the inventor is legally entitled.

1. A ground-contact putter comprising: an elongated shaft having firstand second ends; a handgrip on the first end of the elongated shaft; aputter head secured to the second end of the elongated shaft andoriented substantially transversely to the shaft, the head having twospaced-apart end sections separated by an intermediate ball-strikesection; each end section comprising a ground-contact surface; and theintermediate ball-strike section being elevated above the ground-contactsurfaces of the two end sections and further comprising a ball-strikesurface disposed at an elevation above the midpoint of a golf ball. 2.The putter of claim 1 wherein the end sections are substantiallycylindrical.
 3. The putter of claim 2 wherein the ground-contactsurfaces are substantially cylindrical.
 4. The putter of claim 1 whereinthe ball-strike section is substantially cylindrical.
 5. The putter ofclaim 3 wherein the ball-strike surface is substantially cylindrical. 6.The putter of claim 1 wherein the putter head comprises a core, and thecore and ball-strike surface are made of different materials.
 7. Theputter of claim 1 wherein the ground-contact surfaces and theball-strike surface are made of different materials.
 8. The putter ofclaim 7 wherein the ground-contact surface is made of a slick polymer.9. The putter of claim 1 wherein the ground-contact surface comprises acorrosion-resistant metal.
 10. The putter of claim 1 wherein the shaftand the putter head each comprise a central longitudinal axis andwherein the shaft axis is perpendicular to the putter head axis and thetwo axes intersect in the center of the putter head.
 11. The putter ofclaim 1 wherein the shaft and the putter head each comprise a centrallongitudinal axis and wherein the shaft axis is perpendicular to theputter head axis and crosses above the putter head axis.
 12. The putterof claim 1 wherein the shaft and the putter head each comprise a centrallongitudinal axis and wherein the shaft axis is perpendicular to theputter head axis and crosses below the putter head axis.
 13. The putterof claim 1 wherein the shaft and the putter head each comprise a centrallongitudinal axis and wherein the shaft axis slants from about 10 toabout 20 degrees rearwardly from an axis vertical to the putter headaxis.
 14. The putter of claim 6 wherein at least a portion of the coreis hollow.
 15. The putter of claim 1 wherein the head comprises apolymeric material.
 16. The putter of claim 1 wherein the end sectionshave a diameter greater than a golf ball diameter.
 17. The putter ofclaim 1 wherein the ball-strike surface is disposed at least about{fraction (1/8)} inch higher than the midpoint of a golf ball.
 18. Theputter of claim 1 wherein the shaft comprises a central longitudinalaxis and wherein, when the putter head is positioned with theball-strike surface facing forwardly and the ground-contact surfacefacing downwardly, an angle ranging between about 30 and about 85degrees is formed between the shaft axis and a substantially levelputting surface underlying the putter head.
 19. The putter of claim 18wherein the angle ranges between about 30 and about 45 degrees.
 20. Theputter of claim 1 wherein the putter head is secured to the shaft by ameans comprising threads.